Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere looks set to be out until Christmas after it was revealed he does in fact need surgery on a hairline fracture in his left leg.

The 23-year-old England international suffered a setback in his recovery from the original leg fracture that was suffered in pre-season training, and there are now fears that he could require a metal plate in his leg to try and correct the injury.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had originally hoped to have Wilshere back after the international break, but last week Wenger confirmed that he would be unable to call on Wilshere for the weekend visit of Stoke after suffering a further issue in his recovery.

Arsenal injury news and suspensions

Arsenal injury news and suspensions

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Jack Wilshere (midfielder)

Has suffered a setback in his recovery from a hairline fracture of his right ankle and required surgery which will keep him out for several more weeks than expected. Arsene Wenger does not expect him back until late November at the earliest.

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Danny Welbeck (striker)

Was close to a return but suffered a serious setback that requires surgery and will likely leave him out until January 2016. Has not played since April, and has been described by Wenger to be "progressing well".

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Tomas Rosicky (midfielder)

Suffered a knee injury while on international duty and has been missing since the start of the season. Wenger said "it's similar to Welbeck" - meaning he could be out until the New Year.

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Mikel Arteta (midfield)

Played the final 10 minutes of the win against Watford but has re-injured his ankle and will miss the Everton match.

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David Ospina (goalkeeper)

Has hurt his shoulder and will not be available until the next international break

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Aaron Ramsey (midfield)

Pulled up in the win against Bayern Munich with a hamstring problem. Will miss the next month.

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However, Wenger insisted that it was just a “little setback” and did not expect Wilshere to be on the sidelines for too much longer.

But in what appears to be the latest blow in a long line of injuries for Wilshere, Press Association reports that Wilshere will need to undergo surgery – possibly as early as Thursday – to correct the problem following further medical examination.

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The fresh setback is disastrous for Wilshere’s pre-season hopes of enjoying a season without injury, having appeared cursed throughout his time with the Gunners after suffering 12 individual injuries.

Last season he missed five months due to an ankle injury that also saw him near a return only to suffer a setback, and he now faces a race to regain fitness and prove to England manager Roy Hodgson that he is not a risk to take to Euro 2016 next summer.

The rest of the Arsenal squad will fly out to Croatia today for their Champions League Group F opener with Dynamo Zagreb, though the squad are set to be without Per Mertesacker once again. The defender has been laid low with a mystery virus that was initially thought to be a chest infection, but after missing the wins over Newcastle and Stoke, the defender was involved in a minor car accident on Monday night on his return from the club’s London Colney training ground.